From mud huts, umqomboti and straightback to penthouses, expensive weaves and moet!

YES 183

Sometimes you have to pause in life to figure out what has gone wrong. If someone forces you to marry the rich guy

because he is rich do you just accept when your heart desires someone else? What about if you are forced to be straight when you are gay and proud would you gladly agree because it is not in your culture? Do you just roll over and play dead for the sake of it? I really don’t think that’s how it works. Am I crazy for not wanting my own identity because last time I checked I never saw SANGOMA on my CV. Anything forced on you is as good as rape because accepting this calling will be doing at the barrel of a gun as I did not want it. Now my life was falling apart because it’s not what I wanted.

“I have to go to the bank!”

I told myself. This is why I believe in having friends who are relevant. Imagine if I did not have a Nthabiseng in my life to look out for me? I would be screwed. I had to prioritize what I needed to do. I had my I.D on me and I already save most of my account numbers on my phone. I had no reason why to go home then.

“Yes how are you ma’am, how can I help you?”

He asked me.

“I need to make some payments and a withdrawal!”

I told him.

“Maam you actually have a private banker assigned to you. Just go to him and he will sort out everything for you!”

People with money really are spoiled.

“I have never spoken to him or her so where do I go?”

I asked go.

“RMB! If you want to make large withdrawals he is the best person to do it for you and he can even make arrangements for t to be delivered to you therefore minimizing our risk!”

He told me and he gave me the details on where to go. I have heard of private bankers before. They only work with clients that have significant amounts of money and I guess I mattered now. When I got there I fully understood how the other half, the one that matters clearly lived. At reception I asked for the name I had been given. It was on my file already.

“Miss Mbatha we meet at last!”

Some snobbish yuppie said to me. Bankers dress like bankers. This guy even had cross belts on I tell you.

“Yes indeed but I don’t get why we are only meeting now?”

I asked him.

“We have actually been trying to get hold of you. It seems your phone number does not really want to hear from us!”

He told me.

“If your calls are private then that could be the problem. I blocked private numbers!”

I explained to him. I was not lying either I did this when I first left the company to avoid them stressing me out.

“I don’t know maybe regardless you are here now! My name is Brian and I am your assigned RMB agent!”

He introduced himself formally.

“I am Lungi!”

I said sheepishly.

“You have a lot of paperwork to do. I had actually taken the liberty to collect some of the things you need including your black card. When he said that it was meant to mean something because he had so much pride in it bit I was clueless so I stared back at him rather rudely.

“Ok then what can we do for you today?”

I could not help but notice that most of the people here were young but that was not the problem, they were mostly male.

“Well Brian I need to do some work on my account today can you help me?”

I asked him.

“Of course that’s what I am here for!”

He told me.

To cut a long story short I managed to come out with only r60000 but more importantly he made transactions that I could not have made alone. He paid half of my bond too. The reason why we did not pay for the whole house was because the house was still owed by the bank but the money I finished it that would mean that it would now be in my name and could therefore be attached in any lawsuit. If it was owned by the bank on the other hand no one else could come and claim it. I needed to go see Nthabiseng though because she had been so mysterious on the phone. I decided I should go home first to hide the money because this is Joburg and walking around with money like that is stupid. As soon as I got home Simba called.

“We need to talk ASAP!”

He said. He sounded impatient and pumped up even.

“Sure, where and when?”

I asked him.

“Remember the bar we went to in Melrose? Let’s meet there. Take an Uber!”

He advised and I did exactly that. I guess he thought that if I used my own car I could be followed. I found him waiting for me already.

“Simba what’s going on?”

I asked him anxiously.

“It’s not good.”

He said offering me a sit.

“This morning I had to go to the police station with my lawyer. They wanted me to cooperate in an investigation against you in return for immunity against me!”

He explained.

“Immunity?”

I asked,

“Yes that means that if I testify against you they won’t bring charges against me!”

He explained.

“I know what immunity is Simba but what are you talking about? That’s what’s more important!”

I asked him impatiently.

“They basically said you tricked me into defrauding the company. When you got you first threatened to quit remember I also threatened to pull out of the deal. I insisted on having you on the contract and that was a bad move on my part!”

He explained.

“I don’t follow!”

I told him.

“Well they said that I made it impossible for the company to sign the contract without you on board!”

He went on to say of which I responded,

“But I never asked you to! It had nothing to do with me at all!”

I reminded him.

“I know that and you know that and when I was explaining this to them it just came across as a story to cover up. I am not done though. Eventually you were fired forcing them to make a payout and again as soon as you did we also pulled out. Our reason for pulling out was because they put our contract in the hands of a 22 year old who knew nothing about the nature of the work we do. We made several submissions towards this and they refused to listen so we rescinded through a clause in the very contract!”

He carried on.

“Ok that’s all fair and good but I had left already so it had nothing to do with me.”

I said defending myself.

“It did not you are right but what we did not know is that they had sent someone to follow you around. Someone put them up to it that we had a secret relationship which you were supposed to have disclosed officially to your company before we signed and during your brief stay in the contract!”

He explained. I had to think for a moment. Yes there was a provision that we could not date co workers but he was not a co worker? I was not sure now how this could be applied and I needed Nthabiseng for this. Had the fact that we had signed a contract with his company made him a co-worker and did I now have a duty to disclose this information! My head was burning now and I had so many questions.

“But we only started seeing each other fully after I left!”

I protested.

“Not according to them. They have someone feeding them information and I know who even though they did not mention by name. Remember when we first met, that colleague of yours you with not the white girl? What was her name?”

He asked me.

“Rudzani?”

I said.

“Yes her, did you ever tell her anything about me or us?”

He asked me.

“Yes probably your name would have slipped through my lips but nothing too deep and besides the friendship ended before you and I became an item!”

I told him.

“Well I think it’s her who put them on your scent because somehow they knew when went out and so on!”

He explained to me. Somehow this felt childish to me come on, did Rudzani have such a big grudge against me that she would do this.

“Nah it can’t be her! She is not that smart and even if she was she would need a strong motivation to come after me like that!”

I told him.

“Oh she had, the case was brought forth because of your payout a selected few will not be getting their bonuses and some were even laid off. I think I will be motivated enough if I was them!”

He reminded me and he was right. I am very certain those affected by the no bonus plan were black employees and a few black friends’ co-workers. I keep saying private sector needs to be investigated by government then everyone throws Guptas in my face. The Gupta’s have never for one day made my company pay me less than my white less educated white colleagues but oh no, I must focus on them!

‘This is really bad isn’t it?”

I asked him.

“Yes I am afraid it unfortunately. It’s not me they want it’s you and that money they gave you. I am not sure when they will come for you but I assure you they will come!”

He told me and he looked around.

“What’s wrong?”

I asked him.

“Ever since I was told that you were being followed I am rather anxious too that I am also being followed. It’s just paranoia!”

He added. I had so much on my mind though. I knew I was innocent of anything but with way white people get favour in the courts; I mean the DA practically owns the high court I did not stand a chance when they came after me.

“What should I do now?”

I asked him. My heart was beating fast.

“You need to get a lawyer! If not a team of lawyers. If you don’t fight them they will take everything from you and you could end up in jail!”

He explained to me and at this stage my heart was beating so loud I am sure the people on the next table could hear it. He put his hand on top of mine,

“Don’t worry; I am going to get my lawyers on your team as well. We are going to fight this together to the very last second!”

He said lovingly and reassuringly.

At least Mbilahelo did not work in now because this was all the drama I needed at the moment!

I am pleading to anyone who owns a law firm, or who knows of a law firm which is hiring for next year (Jan 2018).
I have experience as i volunteered at the Legal aid SA for 6 months and i am currently working at a law firm (since March 2018). I have a National Diploma in Law-Paralegal Studies and i am currently studying towards an LLB degree on a part time basis.

Pay your lawyers retainer fees upfront….pay up your car or buy a new cash in your sisters name…provident fund/pension….pay some funds…..donate to your church,local school and any initiatives by the governing party in your area….let politiciansvweigh in on your case so they make a noise and expose the racial bias yaboGoldberg.Ehrm dont keep cash in your house kodwa Lungi…maybe your mothers house?Hell even donate to a sangoma school and buy cows for your ancestors uhlabe girl…let them find a coupla thousands kuphela.You xan ecen put some in your business wuth Mirriam hust make sure your naned not in it youll recover it later.Basile abelungu shame

But Lungi was warned by her aunt, her aunt beg her not to take the money . But Lungi chose not to listen. I doubt even if she pay off everything the ancestor will let her off the hook that easily. Remember that he4 aunt warn her because she foreseen that the money will cause trouble for her. If I was Lungi, I would take back that money and accept the calling. I’m sure it’s what the ancestors expected of her.

Corporate South Africa is a dark, dingy place for black proffessionals. You have to dance to their tune and should never dare question their unequal pay policies. It is so bad that one cannot even discuss openly that they are going for a holiday, because it is a side note for them not to give you an increase and it basically offends your white collegues. If you are not keen on adopting white tendencies it is very difficult to survive or thrive. Our black middle class is stressed guys, kunzima. I was also once in a similar situation and I tried to take them to task, but I eventually realised that they were pulling big guns on me (even though they know they were wrong) and I made a decision to let it go. I even rejected their “golden handshake” offer so I need not sign their non disclosure agreement. I can do whatever I want with my experience with them. A lot of people say I should have just taken the money, which would have really come in handy as I’m still paying of my university loan. But to me that felt like self-betrayal, it essentially says to them that “it is okay to treat me like trash, as long as you pay me”. I was not prepared to absolve them from their guilt in how they treated me in exchange for cash. That is the problem, I think. We have put a price to our suffering as black people and yet no amount of money is worth your sanity, none. You cannot devalue my humanity and compensate me with me cheap currency, I’m sorry. I would rather struggle with my pride intact.

I Dont know if it is the English or the fact that you have banking experience, she is not yet a private bank client hence they been trying to get hold of her so assessments have been made by the bank so she qualifies that is why tse ba mo phonela… So she just signed the paper work. Her name was on a list of potential customers so they been on the look out for her…

No let me educate you ke sisi , the teller or whom ever she is couldn’t have had that information of her having a private banker unless she was already one (TELLER’S have information on system, as such her information couldn’t have been updated to private banking if she wasn’t one), if the banker in this case wasn’t able to get hold of Lungi she would still have a current account until they got hold of her and all forms have been completed or if she inquired about private banking herself.

Ta brada Mikie
With R1 million plus I’m sure the banks can move U albeit “temporarily” to private banking without having to charge U for that service and waive the charges until U agree or disagree to move “permanently” sign for the charges. They know once U taste that service, U will most likely sign.
It’s like they can allow yo account to overdraw sometimes to introduce U to an overdraft. It’s marketing strategy.